This invention relates in general to holding devices for inflation needles. More specifically, this invention relates to a portable inflation needle holder, which can be attached to an air pump, key chain, gym bag, backpack or belt loop.
Inflation needles are commonly needed around the home, school and gym for a variety of uses. Some of these uses are for inflation of footballs, basketballs, volleyballs, rugby balls, water polo balls, soccer balls and kick balls. Inflation needles are usually sold three to a package. Once the cardboard and plastic package is opened and the first needle is used, the other two quickly get misplaced. The first needle is often left attached to the pump and gets bent and is rendered useless. Inflation needles usually snap into two pieces when you try to straighten them. The search for an inflation needle usually starts on the way out of the house, when the ball to be used in the game that day is discovered to be flat. After a mad dash through the house searching for those elusive inflation needles, the owner has to make a choice between a quick stop at the sporting goods store or playing with a flat ball.
Storage racks for some articles are also known, such as the racks described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,794 to Drower, or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,700 to Crossen, Jr., or U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,365 to Henderson. These racks, however, are not suited to inflation needles, because inflation needles need to be attached to a specific convenient location at the choice of the user, which may be fixed or portable. Inflation needles on the garage wall will not help the sports enthusiast who discovers on the playing field that the game ball needs air. The above patents are rendered useless when portability is needed. The above patents are not suitable to house inflation needles because the needles would fall out if the devices described in the patents were turned upside down. None of the above patent devices are portable and if they were, the objects in them would be lost or damaged in short order because the contents are not held in place by friction. Additionally, inflation needles stems are easily damaged, and none of the above holders would protect the stems by completely encasing them in material.